Compensating air compressor



July 19. 1927.

"1,636,440 M. RIESNER COMPENSATING AIR COMPRESSOR Filed March 16,, 1927 ZSheets-Sheet 1 H Mm HAIL. RIESNER,

I TOR m ATTORNEY M. RIESNER COMPENSATING AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Mar oh 16. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet z ATTORNEY III/111% 7 7 III/A I i Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,636,440 PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL RIESNER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR TO WORTHINGTON PUMP AND MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF-NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

COMPENSA'IING AIR COMPRESSOR.

Application filed March 16, 1927. Serial No. 175,710.

This invention relates to air compressors and the primary object of theinvention is '15 air or gas under a relatively low pressure and the clearance space within the cylinder is proportioned so that the maximum pressure may be controlled by clearance to give the necessary balance between the forward and return strokes of the balancing noncompressing piston.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a compensating a1r compressor of the preferred form embodying the invention, and the features pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings I Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through an air compressor showing the improved compensating or balancing piston and cylinder arrangement.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a part of the compressor. c

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through an air compressor of the'double acting type showing the improved compensating or balancing structure associated therewith.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, the improved compensating structure or balancing cylinder and piston are shown as associated with a booster compressor, or the last stage of amulti-stage compressor for handling air or gas at relatively high pressures. In such constructions the small diameter of the piston necessitates a compressor of the plunger type, and due to nature of design, it must necessarily be single acting. In the present practice of constructing such machines very large frame bearing, crank and connecting rods are required, due to the extremely high peak loads and it also results forming the invention will be specifically in uneven torque effort. When associated with this type of machine the improved balanclng cylinder and piston structure will ma-t erlally decrease the frame loads, thus allowing the use of a small frame and will convert the characteristics from that of a single acting compressor to that of a twostage compressor with the resulting advantages. A 1

The high stage of booster compressor A of ap roved construction has associated therewith the balancing arrangement B and the operating mechanism C, which operating mechanism may be of any approved type, and while a particular construction of booster or high stage compressor is illustrated, it isto be understood that the invention is applicable to such compressors irrespectlve of their particular details of construction.

The booster or high stage compressor A comprises the cylinder 1 which has the usual suction or inlet valve structures 2 and the outlet or discharge valve structures 3 and in operation, the air, gas or other fluid under pressure is drawn into the cylinder 1 where it'is compressed to a higher state' of compression by action of the plunger piston i after whic it is discharged through the dis charge valve 3. In high pressurecompressors where very'high pressures are desired the piston, because of its small diameter, must be of the plunger type and is necessarily single acting because of the nature of the design of such final stage compressors. A single acting compressor requires very large frame bearing, crank and connecting rods because of the extremely high peak loads and also results in uneven torque efforts. To balance the operation of the high pressure compressorstructure and change 1ts characteristics from that of a single acting to that of a two-stage compressor, a compensating or balancing non-working cylinder 5 is provided in which the balancing piston 6 reciprocates. The piston 6 is connected,

preferably by a flexible connection as indicated at 7 to the piston 4 of the high pressure compressor A and in the form .illustrated in the drawings the piston Gris connected by a connecting rod 8 through the cross head structure 9 with the operating shaft 10 of the operating mechanism C so that the compensating or balancing cylinder and piston structure isinterposed between proved type at its suction or inlet.

the high pressure compressing piston 4 and its operating mechanism. This construction is a matter of relation of the parts and it is to be understood that the balancing cylinder 5 and non-working balancing piston 6 may be positioned at anydesired or convenient place relative to the high pressure compressing piston at so long as they will properly balance the action ofthe compressor A and perform their functions. The balancing cylinder 5 has a valve structure ll of any ap- In the drawings, the valve 11 is'shown of the Well known type of the Meyer patents Ileissue #13,991 and 'i/sl, 3l1,15 but it is to be understood that any suitable valve may be provided. The valve 11 establishes con munication between the inlet space'or chamber 12 and the cylinder 5. The chamber 12 has an inlet opening 13 thereii'i which may be opened to the atmosphere orititis so desired may be connected to'an inter-cooler of a multi-stage compressing installation so as to receive air or gas into the chamber under arelatively low pressure.

The suction valve 11 will admit air or gas into the cylinder 5 behind the piston 6 only in suflicient quantity to iill the clearance space 14 in the cylinder 5 and this clearance space M is proportioned to provide the proper predetermined maximum pressure in the cylinder to properlycompensate or I balance the action of the high pressure conipressing piston 4.

In operation, upon the Suction stroke of the piston l the balancing piston 6 will com- 7 1n Flgure l and described in connection with press the air or gas in the clearance space 14 of the cylinder 5 and upon the compressing stroke of the piston & the air r gas which has been compressed in the clearance space 14 will exert its expanding energy against the piston 6 and; consequently, against the high pressure compressing piston 4i and by proportioningof the size of the clearance space 1d the proper pressure may be provided against the piston 6 on both its forward and return strokes to properly compensate the action, of the piston at depending upon the work performed and effort required by the piston 4.

In case of leakage of any of the air or gas from the clearance space 14 past t e balancing piston 6 the said air or gas w pass through the opcningft? into the Cilll; ber 12 and be returned to the cylinder 5 through the suction valve 11.

In Figure 3 of the drawings the in'iproved compensating or balancing structure is shown associated with an air or com pressor of double acting construction. In double acting compressors the diameter of the piston rod deducts from the compr area of the piston on the crank end of the cylinder and causes the machine to be unbalanced to such an extent-that the load on spirit of this invention,

the crank end will always be negative, giv ing the same loading effect as the single acting construction above described. The compensating or balancing:structurepwill compensate for such unbalance. andgive equal loading on both forward and return strokes of the compressing piston.

The double acting air compressor includes the compressing cylinder 20 in which the compressing piston 21 reciprocates and as 7 this type of compressor is double acting the piston 21 compresses air or gas upon both its forward and return stroke and while the area of the cylinder is the same on both sides of the piston 21the active or compressing area of the piston 21' onthe crank end of the cylinder is reduced by the diameter of the connecting rod 22 which results in unbalancing the action of the machine as above referred to. To compensate for this unbalancing a balancing or compensating cylinder 24, which isnon-working is provided in which the non-w rking balancing piston 25 reciprocates. 'Th-e non-working balancing piston 25 is connected to the; connecting rod 22 by any suitable type of coupling as shown at 26 and it is also connected through the medium of the connecting rod 27 and crosshead 28 with the operating shaft 29. The cylinder 24 has a valve structure 30 of any approved type at its suction or inlet and in fact thebalancing or compensating structure associated with the double acting compressor is similar in construction to the balancing cylinder 5,r.100 piston 6 and their companion part :as shown aid figure. The inlet spacev or-chamber 31 is also provided which is open either to, the atmosphere or may be connected to an inter-11105 cooler of a multi-stage compressing installationand receives air or gas. in the chamber under a relatively low pressure which air or gas is drawn into the clearancespace 32 in the cylinder 24: as needed. -The clear-. ance space 32 is proportioned to provide the proper pre-determined maximum pressn-re in the cylinder 24 to properly compensate or balance the action of the compressing piston 21 and give equal loading on both forwardzms and return strokes of the piston 21. A suitable opening 33 is provided to permit return to the chamber 31 of air or gas which escapes past the piston 25 in its operation. a

In the foregoing specification and draw- H20 ings the improved compensating orbalancing cylinder and piston arrangement has been described and shown as applied to a high pressure air or gas compressor but it is to be understood that the inventionis notti25 to be limited tosuch particular application but may be used in connection with single acting high pressure pumps or analogous mechanism, Without departing :fromn the It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thespecific construction or arrangement of parts shown but that these may be modified widely within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is: a

1. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder provided with a valved inlet and not having a discharge, and a balancing piston in said cylinder whereby air or gas in the cylinder will be compressed upon one stroke of the balancing piston and will exert its expanding force against the piston upon the other stroke.

2. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder closed from discharge, and a balancingpiston in said cylinder whereby air or gas in the cylinder will be compressed upon one stroke of the balancing piston and will exert its expanding force against the piston upon the other stroke.

3. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder closed from discharge, a balancing piston in said cylinder whereby air or gas in the cylinder will be compressed upon one stroke of the balancing piston and will exert its expanding force against the piston upon the other stroke, and a passageway for directing air or gas leaking past said balancing piston to theinlet of the balancing cylinder.

4. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder closed from discharge, and a balancing piston in said cylinder whereby. air or gas in the cylinder Will be compressed upon one stroke of the balancing piston and will exert its expanding force against the piston upon the other stroke, said balancing cylinder proportioned to provide a pre-determined maximum pressure in th cylinder. 5. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder provided with a valved inlet and not having a discharge, a balancing piston in said cylinder whereby air or gas in the cylinder will be compressed upon one stroke of the balancing piston and will exert its expanding force against the piston upon the other stroke, said balancing cylinder clearance proportioned toprovide a pre-determined maximum pressure in the cylinder.

6. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder closed from discharge, a balancing piston in said cylinder whereby air or gas in the cylinder will be compressed upon one stroke of the balancing piston and will exert its expanding force against the piston upon the other stroke, said balancing cylinder clearance proportioned to provide a pre-determined maximum ressure in the cylinder, and a passageway or directing air or gas leaking past said balancing piston to the inlet of the balancing cylinder.

. 7. In an air or gas compressor, the combination'with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder closed from discharge, a balancing piston in said cylinder and connected to said compressing piston, said balancing piston arranged whereby the air or gas in the balancing cylinder will be compressed upon the suction stroke of the compressing piston and" will expand upon the compressing stroke of the compressing piston, whereby the compression and expansion of the fluid in the balancing cylinder acting upon the balancing piston will balance the action of the compressing piston.

8. In an air or gas, compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of abalancing cylinder provided with a valved inlet and closed from discharge, and a balancing piston in said cylinder and arranged whereby the air or gas in the balancing cylinder Wlll be compressed upon suction stroke of the compressing piston and will expand upon compressing stroke of the compressing piston, whereby the compression and expansion of the air or gas in the balancing cylinder acting upon the balancing piston will balance the action of the compressing piston.

9. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder provided with a valved inlet and closed from discharge, and a balancing piston in saidcylinder and arranged whereby the air or gas in the balancing cylinder will be compressed upon suction stroke of the compressing piston and will expand upon compressing stroke of the compressing piston, whereby the compression and expansion of the air or gas in the balancing cylinder acting upon the balancing piston will balance the action of the compressing piston, the clearance of said balancing cylinder proportioned to provide a predetermined maximum pressure in the cylinder.

10. In an air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder provided with a valved inlet and closed from discharge, a balancing piston in said cylinder and arranged whereby the air or gas in the balancing cylinder will air or gas pastthe balancing piston will be returned to the balancing cylinder through its inlet;

be compressed upon suction stroke of the 11. In an, air or gas compressor, the combination with a compressing piston, of a balancing cylinder closed fromdischarge, an inlet chamber for said balancing cylinder, a

suction valve betweensaid chamber and cylinder, a balancing piston in said cylinder, whereby an or gas in the cylinder will be compressed upon one stroke of the balancing 'pistonand will exert its expanding force against the piston upon the other stroke.

12. In an an" or gas compressor, the comb nation with a compressing piston, ofa balancing cylinder closed from discharge, an inlet chamber for said balancing cylinder, a

against the piston upon the other stroke, said inlet chamber having communication With one end of the cylinder remote from the cylinder inlet whereby any leakage of air or gas past the balancing piston will be returned to the cylinder inlet through said chamber.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL RIESNER. 

